The Power of Being Thankful: 365 Devotions for Discovering the Strength of Gratitude (56 page)

If God wants us to help people, why doesn’t He make it easy and inexpensive? Let me answer that question with another question. Did Jesus sacrifice anything to purchase our freedom from sin and bondage? Of course He did. He sacrificed everything—and we are eternally thankful for our salvation! One of the ways we can show our gratitude is by giving to help others.

I have learned that true giving is giving in a way that affects us. Giving away our clothes and household items that are old and we are finished with may be a nice gesture, but it is not sacrificial giving. Real giving occurs when we give somebody something that we want to keep, or something that will definitely cost us.

God gave us His only Son because He loves us, so what will love cause us to do? Don’t let inconvenience or sacrifice keep you from truly loving others.

I am grateful, Father, that You loved me so much that You sent Your Son, Jesus, to die for my sins. Help me to remember that love is not self-serving, but it is selfless and sacrificial.

Decision-making can be simple if we refuse to be double-minded. After making a decision, stand firm, let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no.” Indecision and double-mindedness not only bring confusion and complication, but, as James noted, they also cause condemnation (see James 5:12).

If we believe in our hearts that we should do something and then allow our heads to talk us out of it, it is an open door for condemnation. We often labor over decisions when actually we just need to decide. Pray for God’s wisdom and guidance, and then make decisions without worrying about them. Thankfully, you don’t have to live in fear of being wrong. If your heart is right and you make a decision that is not in accordance with God’s will and end up going astray, He will forgive you, find you, and get you back on course.

Father, help me to avoid complicating the process of decision-making. I thank You that You see my heart and You will correct my course if I take a wrong step. I thank You that I can simply follow what I believe You are leading me to do and trust You to protect me in the process.

One thing we all know about children is that they enjoy life. A child can literally enjoy anything. A child can turn work into a game so he is able to enjoy it.

I recall asking my son to sweep the patio when he was about 11 or 12 years old. I looked outside and saw him dancing with the broom to the music playing on the headset he was wearing. I thought,
Amazing! He has turned sweeping into a game. If he has to do it, he is going to enjoy it.

We should all have that attitude. We may not choose to dance with a broom, but we should choose an attitude of thanksgiving in everything we do and always enjoy all aspects of life.

When I am in a situation that doesn’t seem like a lot of fun naturally, help me, Father, to make the most of it. I thank You that I can enjoy every part of my life, knowing that the joy of the Lord is my strength.

There is tremendous power in praise. We gain more and more strength, our faith increases, and the things that are coming to defeat us are destroyed as we praise God. Enjoying good praise and worship music is one of the tools we have available to help us live in an atmosphere of praise.

Every time we have an opportunity—even a minute or two while walking through a parking lot into a store, or waiting in line to pay for an item—take the opportunity to praise and worship God. After a while, praise becomes so natural that it flows out of us without a deliberate decision on our part. We find ourselves singing and thanking God as an automatic response to our awareness of His goodness, mercy, and grace.

Father, help me get to a place where my natural reaction is praise. Thank You that I can look to You and Your goodness rather than the cares of the world. I am grateful for Your presence and power in my life.

Prayer is the greatest privilege of our lives. It’s not something we have to do; it’s something we get to do! Prayer is one of the ways we partner with God to see His plans and purposes come to pass in our lives and in the lives of those we love. It is the means by which we human beings on earth can actually enter into the awesome presence and power of God.

Prayer allows us to share our hearts with God, to listen for His direction, to express our thanksgiving, and to know how to discover and enjoy all the great things He has for us. I have heard it said that “all failure is a failure to pray.” Communicating with God is indeed the greatest privilege I know, and it is also the simplest privilege I know. Don’t make prayer complicated or difficult. Keep it simple and enjoy every moment spent with the Lord in prayer.

Father, I thank You for the great privilege of coming to You in prayer. It is amazing to think that I can enter into Your presence with thanksgiving today. Thank You, Lord, for hearing my prayer and for guiding me as I go through my day today.